Commutator-brush



(No Model.)

P. 0. BLAGKWELL. GOMMUTATOR BRUSH.

No. 462,466. Patented Nov. 3, 1891.

- I ESSES ,I [5 1:01-

nu: moms runs :0 rum-ammo msmmmm n c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS O. BLACKIVELL, OF NE\V YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE TIIOMSON-HOUSTON ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF CONNECTICUT.

COMMUTATOR-BRUSH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 462,466, dated November3, 1891.

Application filed March 5, 1889. Serial No. 301,862. (No model.)

To a, whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS O. BLAoKwELL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at New York, in the county of New York, State of NewYork, have invented certain new and usef ul Improvements inCommutator-Brush es, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to commutator-brushes for electric railways; and itconsists, first, of a metallic box open at one end filled with loosepieces of small wire having their rear ends resting on a layer of feltat the bottom of the box. This brush as a whole is set in a metallicholder, which is held by sprin g-pressure against the commutator.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figs. I, II, and III are respectively end, side, and back elevations ofmy brush, comprising the box and loose wires. Fig. IV is a transversesection of the brush in position in the holder. Fig. V is an endelevation of the holder with the brush in position against thecommutator. Fig. VI is a side elevation of the same, showing the springand adj usting devices.

I11 the drawings, A is a rectangular metallic box made of thin sheetcopper.

B are a number of small loose copper wires 0 placed on end in the box, alayer of felt being first placed in the bottom of the box and held inplace by passing through the slit in each end of the box.

The device thus far described I call a brush. The wires rest on theirends against the commutator and form an easy yielding contact-surface,each wire having a slight independent movement with a little resiliencyimparted to it by the felt. This brush is 40 placed in position by beingset in a cavity of the proper shape formed on the end of a holder D.This holder D has a brush-socket at its lower end, and at its upper endit embraces a stud E, attached to a fixed part of the machine. Theholder D turns freely about the stud E, and a coiled spring F isattached at one end to the brush-holder and at the other end is fixed tothe stud, so that it tends to imparta pressure of the brush-holderagainst the commutator. This spring is adjusted by having its inner endattached to a disk G, which has teeth engaging the fixed disk H 011 theinner end of stud E. The pressure of the spring holds the teeth of Gconstantly in engagement with those of II. The 5 5 torsion of the springmaybe adjusted by forcing G forward and turning it around and thenallowing it to engage with H in a different position.

The brush thus formed is a very durable 6c one, the wear being all uponthe wires B, which may be replaced without trouble. By arranging thewires perpendicularly to the bearing-surface of the commutator a largenumber of contacts are provided, which will reduce the sparking, and theresiliency of the wires allows the brush to accommodateitself to thesurface of the commutator and wear down evenly.

In practice the box A will be filled with o wires, which will be held inplace by a tightfitting cover or a strip of adhesive tape. ,To place onein position it is only necessary to lift up the arm D against thetension of spring F, drop out the box in which the wires have been worndown and inserta new box, taking off the cover or adhesive tape at thesame time. The wire 13 will then be held constantly against thecommutator, and the brush never requires any attention until it is wornSo out.

I secure still further adjustment of the bearing-surfaces by placing alayer of felt in the bottom of the holder D, so that the box as a wholemay receive a little adjustment from the resiliency of the felt, while afiner adjustment is secured by the independent movement of the wires Brelative to one another.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure 0 by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a brush-holder, of a containing-box, a numberof independent wires placed therein, and a layer of felt or similarsubstance giving an independent re- 5 siliency to each wire.

2. A commutator-brush composed of a number of small wires, with acontaining-box therefor, and a common resilient piece of felt or similarsubstance giving an independent IOO movement to each wire.

o. The combination, with a commutator brush composed of a number ofindependent Wires and a containing-box therefor, of a holder adapted toreceive the box movable freely toward and away from the comn1utator, anda spring pressing the holder against the commutator.

at. The combination of a commutator with a brush-holder having a socketat its lower end and pivoted at its other end so as to swing freelytoward or away from the commutator, a brush arranged perpendicularly tothe surface of the commutator and having a hearing at its inner endwithin the socket, and a spring giving the holder a rotating tendencyabout the pivotal point, whereby the brush is held in place by its endsbearing, respectively, against the commutator and socket.

5. The combination, with a commutatorbrush consisting of a number ofmetallic pieces having an independent resilient bearing against thecommutator, of a holder having a spring-pressure against the commutator,and an intermediate resilient piece between the holder and the brush,giving the commutator-brush as a Whole an elastic bearing on the holder.

6. The combination, with a fixed stud, of a brush holder having a rotarymovement around the stud, a coiled spring giving a spring-pressure inthe direction of said movement, and a notched adjusting-disk between theinner end of the coiled spring and a similar notched disk attached tothe stud.

7. The combination, with a containing-box A, of independent wires B, alayer of felt O, a holder D, an intermediate layer of felt K, and aspring for pressing the holder against the commutator.

8. The combination, with a commutator, of a pivoted brush-holder havinga socket at its lower end, a box therein, and independent Wires bundledtogether in said box and pressed against the commutator.

9. As an article of manufacture, the containing-box having a number ofindependent wires placed perpendicularly therein, and a layer of felt orsimilar material on which the ends of the wires rest.

FRANCIS O. BLACKlVELL.

Witnesses:

EDWARD M. BENTLEY, J ULIEN M. ELLIOT.

